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Reclaiming Africa’s Narrative: A Call to Unity, Self-determination and Renaissance

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Reclaiming Africa’s Narrative: A Call to Unity, Self-determination and Renaissance

By George Omagbemi Sylvester

 

In 1988, during the waning days of apartheid, South Africa’s then-president P.W. Botha allegedly made a declaration so abhorrent it still echoes in the ears of all who believe in justice and equality: “Black people cannot rule themselves because they don’t have the brain and mental capacity to govern a society.” This vile statement, whether apocryphal or not, encapsulates the supremacist ideology that underpinned centuries of colonial subjugation, racial discrimination and the systemic erosion of African dignity.

But time has proven Botha and all who think like him resoundingly wrong.

The Colonial Disruption of African Societies
Before European intervention, Africa was not a dark, directionless wilderness as imperialists often depicted. It was a continent bursting with vibrant civilizations, flourishing trade routes and governance systems grounded in consensus, justice and communal responsibility. From the intellectual legacy of Timbuktu in Mali, the economic might of the Benin and Oyo empires, to the political sophistication of the Ashanti and Zulu nations, Africa was anything but backward.

Colonialism was not a civilizing mission, it was a criminal enterprise. It dismantled well-structured societies, imposed arbitrary borders, stole natural resources and pitted ethnic groups against one another to divide and rule. The very chaos and underdevelopment often blamed on Africans today are direct consequences of this historical sabotage.

Yet, amid the ruins, Africa’s spirit was never broken.

African Leaders Advocating for Self-Reliance and Unity
Across the ages, a cadre of fearless African leaders emerged to confront neocolonialism and resurrect the dream of a self-determined continent. These were not mere politicians, they were revolutionaries, thinkers and builders.

Thomas Sankara, the martyred President of Burkina Faso, remains one of the most iconic voices against foreign domination. He warned, “He who feeds you, controls you.” Sankara rejected dependency on Western aid, choosing instead to launch agricultural reforms, nationalize land and promote local industries. His vision was clear: true liberation begins with economic independence.

He also exposed the deceptive nature of imperialism: “Imperialism often occurs in more subtle forms like a loan, food aid, blackmail.” His words ring truer today, as many African economies are buried under unsustainable debt and politically motivated aid packages.

Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s transformational leader, has demonstrated that African nations can rise from the ashes of genocide through homegrown solutions. He declared, “In Africa today, we recognize that trade and investment and not aid, are pillars of development.” Under Kagame’s leadership, Rwanda has embraced technology, promoted gender equality and prioritized good governance, becoming a beacon of possibility on a continent that has suffered relentless mischaracterization.

Muammar Gaddafi, controversial but undeniably visionary, imagined a “United States of Africa.” He sought a single African currency, passport and military force—tools that could end external manipulation and promote Pan-African strength. Though his methods were divisive and his end tragic, Gaddafi’s dream for African unity remains relevant and necessary.

These leaders flawed yet courageous yet understood a fundamental truth: Africa’s future cannot be outsourced.

The Path Forward: Rewriting the African Script
To reclaim Africa’s narrative, Africans must take control of the pen. The stories we tell, the policies we adopt and the vision we cast must be authentically African and unapologetically bold.

1. Promote Pan-African Unity
The 55 nations of Africa must act as one. Whether confronting climate change, foreign exploitation or security threats, UNITY is our STRONGEST weapon. Regional integration through platforms like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a step in the right direction, but integration must go beyond economics; it must be ideological, cultural and political. Africa must speak with one voice in the global arena.

2. Invest in Education and Innovation
An education system that glorifies colonial figures while ignoring Africa’s own thinkers is complicit in mental slavery. Curricula across Africa must teach our history of our heroes, our philosophers and our scientists. From Imhotep of Egypt to Cheikh Anta Diop of Senegal, Africa has produced intellectual giants. We must train a generation that is technologically competent, globally competitive and deeply rooted in its heritage.

3. Celebrate Cultural Heritage
Our languages, clothing, music and rituals are not primitive relics, they are treasures. The Yoruba, Swahili, Hausa, Zulu and many other languages must be preserved, promoted and passed on. Cultural pride is not merely symbolic. It is the foundation of psychological liberation. Africans must stop measuring progress by how closely they resemble the West.

4. Strengthen Governance and Institutions
Corruption, weak institutions and authoritarianism are cancers eating away at Africa’s future. But they are not intrinsic to African DNA, they are the legacy of extractive colonial structures. We must dismantle those legacies. Transparent elections, independent judiciaries, press freedom and civic engagement are not luxuries; they are necessities. Democracy must be African-owned and people-driven.

5. Reduce Dependency on External Aid
No nation becomes great by surviving on handouts. Aid often comes with strings attached, strings that entangle sovereignty. Africa must mobilize its resources from agriculture and minerals to youth and innovation and to build sustainable economies. Local production, regional value chains and intra-African trade are the way forward.

Reclaiming the Mind: The Final Frontier
Colonialism did not only conquer land, it colonized the mind. Until we unlearn inferiority and embrace the richness of our identity, progress will remain elusive. Frantz Fanon warned, “The colonized can see only one solution: to rise in arms and reclaim his humanity.” Today’s weapons, however, are not guns but ideas. Our battle is against ignorance, division and dependency.

The media must stop portraying Africa as a CONTINENT of DESPAIR. African writers, filmmakers, academics and entrepreneurs must tell their own stories. Platforms like Nollywood, Afrobeat, African Literature and tech startups are already rewriting perceptions, but more must be done.

Lastly: Inventing the Future
The lie that Africans cannot govern themselves has been shattered by history, resilience and the defiant march of time. The continent that gave birth to humanity is more than capable of shaping its own destiny.

As Thomas Sankara passionately declared, “We must dare to invent the future.” That future is one where Africans are united not just by geography but by purpose. A future where the youth are empowered, the elders respected, the culture celebrated and the leadership accountable.

Africa is not a victim, it is a victor in waiting. It needs no savior from the outside. The answer lies within: in its people, its traditions, its resources and its unyielding spirit.

The time to reclaim the narrative is now. The time to rise, to build…to lead is now!

Reclaiming Africa's Narrative: A Call to Unity, Self-determination and Renaissance
By George Omagbemi Sylvester

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Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)

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Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*

Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*

 

January 29, 2026 – A prestigious appointment has been announced in the reign of Emperor Solomon Wining 1st, recognizing Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang as the *Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*. The official certificate, designated STE.001-1 E, was presented to Rt Hon Inyang during a ceremonial investiture.

 

As Secretary General, Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang will *monitor and coordinate* the implementation of government policies and programmes, serve as an advisory institution to the Government, drive policy formulation, harmonization, and implementation, and oversee the activities of ministries, agencies, and departments.

 

The appointment was proclaimed by *Emperor Prof. Dr. Solomon Wining*, Emperor of the United Kingdom of Atlantics and Empire Worldwide, and co-signed by *Empress Prof. Dr. Sriwan Kingjun*, Empress of Attica Empire, under the auspices of the 5 Billions Humanitarian Projects Incorporated.

 

The ceremony underscores the commitment to strengthening governance and humanitarian initiatives within the UKA (Worldwide) jurisdiction, effective immediately in the reign of Emperor Solomon Wining 1st.

Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*

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GENERAL BULAMA BIU MOURNS BOKO HARAM VICTIMS, CALLS FOR UNITY AND RENEWED EFFORTS FOR PEACE

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GENERAL BULAMA BIU MOURNS BOKO HARAM VICTIMS, CALLS FOR UNITY AND RENEWED EFFORTS FOR PEACE

 

In a solemn message of condolence and resolve, Major General Abdulmalik Bulama Biu mni (Rtd), the Sarkin Yakin of Biu Emirate, has expressed profound grief over a recent deadly attack by Boko Haram insurgents on citizens at a work site. The attack, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives, has been condemned as a senseless and barbaric act of inhumanity.

 

The revered traditional and military leader extended his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families, the entire people of Biu Emirate, Borno State, and all patriotic Nigerians affected by the tragedy. He described the victims as “innocent, peaceful, hardworking and committed citizens,” whose lives were tragically cut short.

 

General Biu lamented that the assault represents “one too many” such ruthless attacks, occurring at a time when communities are already engaged in immense personal and collective sacrifices to support government efforts in rebuilding devastated infrastructure and restoring hope.

 

In his statement, he offered prayers for the departed, saying, “May Almighty Allah forgive their souls and grant them Aljannan Firdaus.” He further urged the living to be encouraged by and uphold the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the victims.

 

Emphasizing the need for collective action, the retired Major General called on all citizens to redouble their efforts in building a virile community that future generations can be proud of. He specifically commended the “silent efforts” of some patriotic leaders working behind the scenes to end the security menace and encouraged all well-meaning Nigerians to join the cause for a better society.

 

“Together we can surmount the troubles,” he asserted, concluding with a prayer for divine intervention: “May Allah guide and protect us, free us from this terrible situation and restore an enduring peace, security, unity and prosperity. Amin.”

 

The statement serves as both a poignant tribute to the fallen and a clarion call for national solidarity in the face of persistent security challenges.

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When a Nation Outgrows Its Care

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When a Nation Outgrows Its Care.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“Population Pressure, Poverty and the Politics of Responsibility.”

Nigeria is not merely growing. It is swelling and faster than its institutions, faster than its conscience and far faster than its capacity to care for those it produces. In a world already straining under inequality, climate stress and fragile governance, Nigeria has become a living paradox: immense human potential multiplied without the social, economic or political scaffolding required to sustain it.

This is not a demographic miracle. It is a governance failure colliding with cultural denial.

Across the globe, societies facing economic hardship typically respond by slowing population growth through education, access to healthcare and deliberate family planning. Nigeria, by contrast, expands relentlessly, even as schools decay, hospitals collapse, power grids fail and public trust erodes. The contradiction is jarring: a country that struggles to FEED, EDUCATE and EMPLOY its people continues to produce more lives than it can dignify.

And when the inevitable consequences arrive (unemployment, crime, desperation, migration) the blame is conveniently outsourced to government alone, as though citizens bear no agency, no RESPONSIBILITY, no ROLE in shaping their collective destiny.

This evasion is at the heart of Nigeria’s crisis.

The political economist Amartya Sen has long said that development is not merely about economic growth but about expanding human capabilities. Nigeria does the opposite. It multiplies human beings while shrinking the space in which they can thrive. The result is a society where life is abundant but opportunity is scarce, where children are born into structural neglect rather than possibility.

Governments matter. Bad governments destroy nations. Though no government, however competent, can sustainably provide for a population expanding without restraint in an environment devoid of planning, infrastructure and accountability.

This is where the conversation becomes uncomfortable and therefore necessary.

For decades, Nigerian leaders have failed spectacularly. Public education has been HOLLOWED out. Healthcare has become a LUXURY. Electricity remains UNRELIABLE. Social safety nets are virtually NONEXISTENT. Public funds vanish into PRIVATE POCKETS with brazen regularity. These are not disputed facts; they are lived realities acknowledged by development agencies, scholars and ordinary citizens alike.

Yet amid this collapse, REPRODUCTION continues unchecked, often CELEBRATED rather than QUESTIONED. Large families persist not as a strategy of hope but as a cultural reflex, untouched by economic logic or future consequence. Children are brought into circumstances where hunger is normalized, schooling is uncertain and survival is a daily contest.

The philosopher Hannah Arendt warned that irresponsibility flourishes where accountability is diffused. In Nigeria, responsibility has become a political orphan. The state blames history, colonialism or global systems. Citizens blame the state. Meanwhile, children inherit the cost of this mutual abdication.

International development scholars consistently emphasize that education (especially of girls) correlates strongly with smaller, healthier families and better economic outcomes. Nigeria has ignored this lesson at scale. Where education is weak, fertility remains high. Where healthcare is absent, birth becomes both risk and ritual. Where women lack autonomy, choice disappears.

This is not destiny. It is policy failure reinforced by social silence.

Religious and cultural institutions, which wield enormous influence, have largely avoided confronting the economic implications of unchecked population growth. Instead, they often frame reproduction as a moral absolute divorced from material reality. The result is a dangerous romanticism that sanctifies birth while neglecting life after birth.

The Kenyan scholar Ali Mazrui once observed that Africa’s tragedy is not lack of resources but lack of responsibility in managing abundance. Nigeria exemplifies this truth painfully. Rich in land, talent and natural wealth, the country behaves as though human life is an infinite resource requiring no investment beyond conception.

This mindset is unsustainable.

Around the world, nations that escaped mass poverty did so by aligning population growth with state capacity. They invested in people before multiplying them. They built systems before expanding demand. They treated citizens not as numbers but as future contributors whose welfare was essential to national survival.

Nigeria has inverted this logic. It produces demand without supply, citizens without systems, lives without ladders.

To say this is not to absolve government. It is to indict both leadership and followership in equal measure. Governance is not a one-way transaction. A society that demands accountability must also practice responsibility. Family planning is not a foreign conspiracy. It is a survival strategy. Reproductive choice is not moral decay. It is economic realism.

The Nigerian sociologist Adebayo Olukoshi has argued that development fails where political elites and social norms reinforce each other’s worst tendencies. In Nigeria, elite corruption meets popular denial, and the outcome is demographic pressure without developmental intent.

This pressure manifests everywhere: overcrowded classrooms, collapsing cities, rising youth unemployment and a mass exodus of talent seeking dignity elsewhere. Migration is not a dream; it is an indictment. People leave not because they hate their country, but because their country has failed to imagine a future with them in it.

And still, the cycle continues.

At some point, honesty must replace sentiment. A nation cannot endlessly reproduce its way out of poverty. Children are not economic policy. Birth is not development. Hope without planning is cruelty.

True patriotism requires difficult conversations. It demands confronting cultural habits that no longer serve collective survival. It insists on shared responsibility between state and citizen. It recognizes that bringing life into the world carries obligations that extend far beyond celebration.

Nigeria does not lack people. It lacks care, coordination and courage. The courage to align birth with dignity, growth with governance and culture with reality.

Until that reckoning occurs, complaints will continue, governments will rotate and generations will be born into a system that apologizes for its failures while reproducing them.

A nation that refuses to plan its future cannot complain when the future overwhelms it.

 

When a Nation Outgrows Its Care.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester

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